Game Developer Best Practices

The following best practices have enabled developers worldwide to build great, successful games for Google Play.

Get Users


1. Optimize for great ratings

  • Beta test to ensure your games are ready and poised for great ratings.

  • Optimize graphics, frame rates, and responsiveness with the Hardware Scaler and OpenGL ES.

  • Be sure your APK is small, then provide game content through over-the-air downloads.

2. Build buzz

  • Build a community with social media, communities to get and keep users talking.

  • Promote your games with official Google Play badges and links to your products on Google Play.

  • If you ship on multiple platforms, doing so at the same time can maximize your marketing impact.

3. Get Visibility

  • First impressions count: highlight the game's best features in screenshots, videos, and description.

  • Integrate Google Play Game Services, so your game is displayed in the Google Play Games App.

Engage and Retain


1. Keep users coming back

2. Give users a reason to invest their money

  • A majority of the top grossing games use in-app purchases. Use them to unlock content and allow players to enhance their game play.

  • Google Play In-app Billing makes purchasing easy with several forms of payment.

  • Provide content updates regularly to give users limited edition items to win or purchase.

3. Earn players’ love

  • Measure your campaigns to see what’s driving quality users to install your games.

  • Analyze in-game use to steer content updates and prolong the life of your games.

  • Respond to reviews and get valuable feedback from the community you’ve built.

Beyond the Basics


Related Resources